1. What This Is
The Canna 50 is Cannabis Professional's ("CP," "we") list of the 50 most influential frontline cannabis workers. These rules explain how to enter, how winners are chosen and how we use what you send us.
2. No Purchase Necessary
It's free to enter, nominate and vote. Buying anything won't help you win.
3. Who Can Enter
To be a nominee, you must:
- Be 21 or older.
- Work on the front line (for example, as a budtender) at a licensed cannabis retailer in the U.S.
- Have an Instagram account.
Anyone who nominates or votes must also be 21 or older.
4. How To Enter
There is one form for everyone, on canna50.com. Anyone 21 or older may nominate a budtender, back someone already nominated, or nominate yourself. Check “This is me” when you are the budtender. A self-nomination uses the same form. It is still one vote per confirmed email per budtender.
The form asks for the budtender's name and Instagram handle. The Instagram handle is required. It is how we tell one budtender from another. The budtender must still meet the rules in Section 3, including having an Instagram account.
If you are nominating yourself, a video is a suggestion, not a requirement. You can record a short passion-for-the-plant story, post it, tag @cannabis_pros_ with #Canna50, and share it so clients, patients and peers come vote for you. You do not have to. A missing tag or a missing video does not disqualify you.
You must confirm your email address using the link we send you. Unconfirmed submissions don't count. It's one vote per confirmed email per budtender. You can back different budtenders. You can't vote more than once for the same one.
5. Key Dates
- Nominations close Dec. 31, 2026, at 11:59 PM ET.
- Winners are announced Jan. 8, 2027.
Entries received after the deadline won't be considered.
6. How Winners Are Chosen
Anyone 21 or older can nominate a budtender, back someone already nominated, or nominate yourself, with the one form on canna50.com. Confirm your email. Nothing counts until you do. It's one vote per confirmed email per budtender. You can back different budtenders. You can't vote more than once for the same one.
The pillar boxes are where you tell the story. The more you tell us, the more it helps. Cannabis Professional uses the nominations, votes and stories you share to make editorial decisions on the final 50.
The three pillars are Passion For The Plant, Patient And Client Focus, and Responsible Citizen Of The Cannabis Community: lifting up fellow budtenders, their company and the wider community, and helping everyone sell safely and responsibly.
7. Fair Play
Votes and nominations must be submitted by a real person. Using bots, scripts, automated tools, fake or disposable email addresses, or paid vote services will disqualify the votes and may disqualify the nominee. Cannabis Professional may remove any votes it believes are fraudulent.
We may also disqualify entries that break these rules, Instagram's rules or the law.
8. Our Decisions Are Final
Cannabis Professional runs the Canna 50 at its sole discretion. Our decisions about eligibility, entries and results are final. We may change, pause or end the program, or update these rules, if we need to.
9. How We May Use What You Submit
By entering or nominating, you let Cannabis Professional share and feature what you submit (such as your name, photo, workplace, an optional video link, and what you write in the form) in Canna 50 coverage, on our website, in our newsletter and on our social media, with credit where we can. Only submit content you have the right to share.
10. Privacy
We only use your information to run the Canna 50 and to send the emails you asked for.
- If you tell us you're a consumer, we keep you on a Canna 50-only list.
- If you're an industry professional and confirm your email, you'll get the Cannabis Professional newsletter.
You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in any email.
11. Not Affiliated With Instagram
The Canna 50 is not sponsored, endorsed or run by Instagram or Meta.
12. Questions
Email hi@cannabisprofessional.com.